<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Heaven is Boring by PenPatronusAooO</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27663637">Heaven is Boring</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/PenPatronusAooO/pseuds/PenPatronusAooO'>PenPatronusAooO</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Supernatural</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angels, Angst, Caregiving, Castiel is Protective of Dean Winchester, Castiel is bisexual, Dean Winchester - Freeform, Dean Winchester is Protective of Castiel, Dean Winchester is Protective of Sam Winchester, Family, Friendship, Gen, Heaven, Hurt Castiel (Supernatural), Hurt Dean Winchester, Hurt/Comfort, Jack is God, Jack kline - Freeform, Not Destiel, Post-Season/Series 15, SPN - Freeform, Sam Winchester - Freeform, Spoilers, Supernatural - Freeform, The Impala (Supernatural), Whump, cas, cass - Freeform, castiel - Freeform, post 15x20, spoilers for 15x20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 22:29:09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,567</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27663637</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/PenPatronusAooO/pseuds/PenPatronusAooO</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Souls in Heaven are disappearing. Can Dean, Castiel, and Sam solve the mystery before they lose everyone they love?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Paradise is Overrated</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Author’s Notes: Spoilers for the series finale! This story takes place long after Sam and Dean meet up in Heaven. They’ve already reunited with everyone else, including Jack and Castiel. FYI I write Dean and Cass as close brothers, but please feel free to interpret their relationship any way you want. </p>
<p>Story Summary: Souls in Heaven are disappearing. Can Dean, Castiel, and Sam solve the mystery before they lose everyone they love? </p>
<p>Chapter Summary: Castiel rushes to Dean for help after he gets injured training angels.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dean Winchester smiled at the summer sunshine twinkling on the lake water. Dragonflies flitted between lily pads, frogs croaked, and thirty yards away on the edge of the woods, three deer were silently grazing. Dean sat on a green cooler at the end of a wooden dock. He held his fishing pole in one hand and a cold beer in the other. The pristine black Impala sat behind him in the grass. Sam was home with Eileen, Bobby and Rufus were playing chess, and Dean was joining his parents that night for dinner. “That night” could come as soon as he wanted, or wait as long as he wanted. The second he wanted to catch a fish, one pulled on his line. The sun would shine until he told it not to. </p>
<p>Paradise. </p>
<p>“God, I’m BORED!” Dean shouted, his voice scaring away a flock of white swans. His eyes were on them – on the sky – when a figure in a trench coat suddenly fell from it, bellyflopped into the water twenty yards in front of Dean, and sank. </p>
<p>“CASS!” Dean leapt to his feet. He dropped his fishing pole and kicked over his beer. The pole rolled off the dock and into the water. A second later it reappeared on the dock, unharmed, beside a fresh bottle. Heaven always kept Dean Winchester stocked up on cold beer. Dean shaded his eyes and stared at the spot where his best friend disappeared. “Cass?” The rippling water went still. “Hey,” Dean said to it, “hey, now – wait – are you real? Like, really, real? Is he – is he drowning? Can he drown?” Dean counted to three, shouted “son of a bitch!” and dove into the cool lake water with his boots on. Dean emerged a moment later holding Castiel tight against his body – the angel’s back against his chest. He rotated in the water so that he was on his back, and started kicking for shore. Cass didn’t stir. </p>
<p>When his feet could touch the slimy bottom of the lake, Dean stood up and walked backwards, guiding Cass’ body as he went. Once they were safely in muddy grass, Dean knelt beside Cass, confirmed he was breathing, and shook him by his still shoulders. “Cass – CASS! Wake up, buddy!” Silver light caught his eye. Dean looked down to see a glowing and bloody wound across the angel’s lower stomach, slashing his bellybutton in half. </p>
<p>“Dammit,” Dean cursed. He looked up at the empty sky (ceiling? He wondered) and shouted, “Jack? Jack! Help! Cass is hurt!” Nothing answered. Jack would hurry to Cass, Dean had no doubt, if he were in hearing range. The kid was probably off repairing another parallel universe that Chuck had deleted. It had been months since Dean had seen him – or had it just been minutes? …A year? </p>
<p>Dean shook his head and returned his attention to Cass. The angel’s skin was pale, making the half-moons under the eyes of his semi-cleanshaven face stand out. Blood leaked from his wound and dripped down his button-down shirt and soaked through his trench coat into the grass. “Dammit, Cass, how do I help you?” Dean wondered out loud. He looked at the sky-ceiling again, and wished them both home. When no magical escalator appeared to whisk them away to Heaven’s version of the bunker back in Kansas, Dean cursed yet again. The Impala was close by – he just had to get the angel into it. Dean gently folded Cass’ legs at the knees, and slid one arm under there and the other underneath the angel’s lower back. Grunting, Dean managed to lift his friend up into a bridal carry. He succeeded in opening a rear door to the car, and gently laid Cass’ body across the back. “Don’t you bleed on my seat!” Dean warned his unconscious friend. </p>
<p>It took an hour (a month?) for Dean to drive that beautiful scenic route from the bunker to the lake. It took a minute (a second?) to drive back. A year passed while he carried Cass from the car to his bedroom in the bunker – at least that was what it felt like, Dean said out loud, “having to carry your heavy angel ass.” But eventually – perhaps in microseconds – he got Cass into the bed. Dean then ran to the nearest bathroom and got a first aid kit. When he returned, he found Cass awake. </p>
<p>“Dean?” the angel grunted, looking out through half-open eyelids. </p>
<p>“Cass!” Dean sighed with relief. “Buddy, you scared me!” </p>
<p>Dean put the first aid kit on the bedside table and started rummaging through it for bandages. When he found some, he pulled a chair over to the side of the bed and, without bothering to ask for permission, unbuttoned Cass’ shirt, rolled it up to his chest, and started cleaning the glowing wound across his stomach. </p>
<p>The angel’s nose crinkled. “Why do I smell moss and trout urine?” </p>
<p>“We went for a swim,” Dean chuckled, “and that’s what you call authenticity.” While he applied gauze, Dean asked, “What the hell happened to you, Cass?” </p>
<p>“I was wounded,” Castiel deadpanned. </p>
<p>“No kidding. Who hurt you? Huh? Who do I have to beat the crap out of?” Dean made a fist and punched his opposite palm. </p>
<p>“I wasn’t in battle, Dean. Hell, Heaven, and Earth are remarkably peaceful right now. No, I was training the new angels.” </p>
<p>“New angels?” </p>
<p>Cass nodded. He reached down to rebutton his shirt, but Dean shooed his hands away and did it for him. “Jack created more angels,” Castiel explained. “With this new legion, and all of my brothers and sisters Jack resurrected from The Empty, we number in the hundreds of thousands now.” </p>
<p>Dean whistled. “Big family.” He frowned. “Um, Jack let EVERY angel go from The Empty…?” </p>
<p>Cass gave him a half smile. “There are… trials going on. Each is being judged based on their loyalty and their actions and a fair court is deciding their fate. Several have been banished back to their slumber – names you and I both know well.” </p>
<p>“Good.” Dean snorted. “So, you were playing with your angel swords, and you got nicked.” </p>
<p>“More than a nick,” Cass said, defensively. “Bad enough that I couldn’t heal it. And I’m an archangel, now.” </p>
<p>“Cass, I’m just pushing your buttons, man.” Dean packed up the first aid kit and set it aside. “And, what, your angel garrison doesn’t have a M*A*S*H unit? You couldn’t get one of them to heal you right when it happened?” </p>
<p>Cass stared at the ceiling. “I was… Embarrassed.” </p>
<p>“Embarrassed?” </p>
<p>“A day-old angel wounded me while I was training her. I… I didn’t want the others to see that I was hurt. So, I just – I just thought of you, thought you might help me, and my wings took me.” </p>
<p>“Thought I MIGHT help you?” Dean scoffed. “Yeah, because if you turned up dying I’d just let you. Have you met me?” </p>
<p>Cass looked fondly at his friend. “I was clumsy. And I couldn’t bear the thought of the garrison seeing me as weak.” </p>
<p>“Cass, Jack left you in charge of Heaven. No one here – human or angel – would ever think you are weak.” </p>
<p>Castiel blushed a shade and smiled with one tiny corner of his mouth. “I appreciate your kind words, Dean.” Cass tried to sit up in the bed, tried to swing his legs off it, but Dean pushed his ankles back down with both hands. </p>
<p>“You’re hurt, Cass. Relax, will you?” </p>
<p>“I need to get back to training.” </p>
<p>“Training, yeah…” Dean rubbed his chin. “Listen, uh, you need some help with this training? Maybe I could teach those angels a thing or two. You know…” Dean mimed a few kicks and punches. “Show them how it’s done?” </p>
<p>Cass cocked his head to the side. “You’re supposed to be fishing, my friend, not fighting.” </p>
<p>Dean nodded. “Right.” </p>
<p>“You’re at peace, Dean. I’d think the last thing you’d want to do is pick up a sword.” </p>
<p>“Yeah…” Dean stood, turned his back, and walked over to the open closet. Inside hung his favorite clothes and sat his favorite shoes. Every torn flannel was intact and there wasn’t a single drop of mud caked to his boots. They were perfect. Everything was perfect. “Cass, can I ask you something?” </p>
<p>The angel had settled back into the bed, lying on his side with his head on the pillow. “You know you can ask me anything, Dean.” </p>
<p>Dean returned to the bed and sat down in the chair beside it. “Do you ever get… bored?” </p>
<p>Castiel frowned. “Bored?” </p>
<p>“Yeah, you know – nothing exciting going on, no action – bored.” </p>
<p>Cass shrugged. “My life has been one astounding event after another. I’ve barely sat still. I’m not sure what boredom feels like.” He looked at his friend. “Are you bored, Dean?” </p>
<p>“Bored. To. Tears,” Dean replied. “Bored to death, Cass. I feel… I feel it – the peace – paradise is peaceful. I love going for drives, love listening to music, going fishing and eating all the pie I want… But, there’s something in me, Cass… Something that’s, I don’t know, unsatisfied, I guess.” Dean suddenly snorted hard and stared down at the floor. “Oh, man, even in Heaven I’m… Broken.” </p>
<p>Cass immediately sat up and gripped Dean’s shoulder. “You are not broken,” he said with force behind his words. “And I’d be honored if you’d join me in training. You’re a bit of a legend to the angels, you know.” </p>
<p>Dean nodded. “Thanks, Cass.” </p>
<p>A ring suddenly erupted from Dean’s jeans pocket. He took out a spotless cell phone and answered it, “Hey, Sammy! What’s shaking in your little corner of paradise today?” </p>
<p>“Dean!” Sam’s anxious voice answered. “I can’t find Eileen!” </p>
<p>“What?” </p>
<p>“I’ve looked everywhere – the whole community – talked to everyone either of us knows, been to every place she’s ever been… Dude, she’s gone!” </p>
<p>To Be Continued</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Homeless Man</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The boys meet up with Sam and find out that someone else is missing, too.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dean and Cass changed out of their wet clothes (there was, miraculously, a full change of clothes for Cass in Dean’s closet) hopped into the Impala and rushed to Sam and Eileen’s house. Sam was waiting for them on the porch of the blue two-story, in a Lawrence-esque town on the other side of the lake, and jumped up the moment he heard the familiar rumble of the car. Dean parked in the drive and ran to his brother. “Hey—!” Before Dean could get a sentence out, Sam embraced him tight, clinging. When Sam pulled back, he didn’t let go – instead he kept both hands on Dean’s upper arms. His face was pale, and Dean felt his body trembling. The brothers nodded at each other. </p><p>Cass, walking a bit slower, joined the pair. “Good to see you,” Sam said, and he pulled Cass into a hug. “Thanks for coming.” The angel returned the hug, but grunted in pain when Sam pulled him too tight. Dean hurried to Cass’ side when he swayed a bit, and both he and Sam looked down to see fresh blood seeping through the bandages across the angel’s stomach. “Cass! You’re hurt?” </p><p>“I’m fine,” Cass grumbled. </p><p>Dean grasped Cass’ elbow and wrapped his other arm around his waist. “He got stabbed by a baby angel,” said Dean. Cass glared at him. “Come here.” Dean walked Cass backwards so that he could half-sit, half lean against the front of the Impala’s hood. “Sammy, tell us what’s going on.” </p><p>“Ok, all right…” Sam combed his fingers through his long hair. “Eileen and I were having dinner. I went into the kitchen to get some wine and when I came back, she wasn’t at the table. I looked around the whole house and she was – Dean, she was gone. She IS gone.” </p><p>“You’re sure? Did you talk to Kevin? What about Becky? Donatello?” </p><p>“Everybody, Dean! Like, everybody!” Sam turned and walked in a circle, hands against his head. </p><p>Cass, talking mostly to himself, mourned and muttered, “This isn’t supposed to happen. You’re supposed to be at peace.” He looked up at his friends and frowned. “I want – so very much – I want you two to be at PEACE.” </p><p>Dean hung his head. </p><p>“Then find my wife.” Sam approached Cass and pushed his forefinger against the angel’s chest. “Send angels out – send all of them, all over Heaven.” </p><p>Sam’s finger was still against Castiel. Cass reached up and gripped his friend’s hand. “I already did, Sam. I got on angel radio the second Dean told me.” </p><p>Sam’s lower lip trembled. His throat worked, Adam’s apple bounding. He nodded twice. “Thanks, Cass.” </p><p>Dean’s pocket vibrated. He took his phone out but before he answered it he held it up and chuckled, “Cells in Heaven. Who knew?” </p><p>“Yeah,” said Sam, “I just thought to myself that I wanted to call you and a phone appeared.” </p><p>“Awesome.” Dean answered the call. “Ellen! What’s the word?” As Dean listened, his face slowly slid into a frown. Sam and Cass exchanged worried looks. “No,” Dean eventually sighed. “No, we haven’t seen Jo…” </p><p>A fluttering of wings. The three Winchesters turned to see the three female angels wearing pantsuits. Cass quickly wrapped his trench coat around his stomach, hiding his bleeding wound. “Hannah,” he greeted, addressing the angel in the center. “Do you have news?” </p><p>Hannah cleared her throat and folded her hands in front. “Perhaps we could talk somewhere else,” she said to Cass. “Privately,” she said pointedly, looking at Sam and Dean. </p><p>Cass stood up. “Whatever you have to say to me can be said in front of them,” he said. “Anything. Ever.” </p><p>Dean smiled and winked at the three angels. </p><p>Hannah sighed. “There was an…incident. At the courthouse. Two angels on trial for treason escaped.” </p><p>“Who?” Cass, Dean, and Sam asked at the same time. </p><p>“Uriel,” said Hannah, “and Raphael. They worked together – got loose, killed the guards. Castiel, we need to get you out of here – get you somewhere safe.” </p><p>“Why?” asked Cass. </p><p>“Because the witnesses heard Uriel and Raphael swear to come after you. They want you dead, Castiel. Come with us so we can protect you.” </p><p>“No… No, I’m staying here.” </p><p>“What? Out in the open on the outskirts of Heaven?” </p><p>Cass raised his chin. “Have you located Eileen yet?” </p><p>Hannah gave Cass an are-you-kidding-me look. “When the traitors escaped I called every angel back to headquarters. We need to regroup! Come up with a plan to find them!” </p><p>Sam and Dean had never seen Cass’ face turn so red. “Send them back out NOW,” Cass commanded. “Eileen Winchester must be found. That’s our number one priority, do you understand?” When Hannah folded her arms against her chest, defiantly, Cass lowered his voice to a dangerous level and repeated, “Do you understand, lieutenant?” </p><p>Hannah shot passing glares at Sam and Dean, then surrendered. “Yes, sir.” </p><p>“Triple the guards at the gate. For now, don’t let anyone into or out of Heaven. We’ll find Eileen, then we’ll worry about Raphael and Uriel.” </p><p>“Understood.” The three angels disappeared with a flutter. </p><p>Cass swayed. His trench coat fell open again, revealing more blood across his abdomen. Dean dashed forward and took Cass by the elbow again. “Easy. Come on, let’s just get in the car.” Mute, Cass allowed his friend to guide him into the back seat where he sat still while Dean pulled the safety belt across his body. </p><p>Sam was already buckled in the passenger seat when Dean dropped into the driver’s. “What are we going to do?” Sam asked. </p><p>“What would we do if someone went missing in a town?” </p><p>Sam cocked an eyebrow. </p><p>“A normal town,” Dean specified, “where we don’t suspect that the victim is missing because of vampires or werewolves.” </p><p>Sam winced at the word “victim.” “We’d get the community together. Start a grid search. Stay out all night if we had to…” </p><p>“And that’s exactly what we’re going to do,” said Dean. “We’re going to get everybody we know, and everybody – everybody – they know to Harvelle’s.” Dean patted Sam’s chest twice. “We’ll find her, man.” </p><p>In the back seat, Cass groaned in pain. </p><p>----------</p><p>The elderly homeless man, wearing the scraggily remains of jeans and a gray suit jacket, limped into the old, abandoned warehouse and dropped a heavy backpack on the floor. “Took me forever to track down a unicorn horn,” the old man said. He took the horn out of his pack and held it up high for his audience to see. “Do you know how rare these are? There are five left in the entire world… And this is the only one not broken.” The man laughed, turning in a circle as he did. Then he took out a knife. “I need to borrow something from you.” </p><p>The two women tied to chairs in one dusty corner of the warehouse looked at each other. One was deaf, and could barely read the old man’s lips amongst his scraggily beard and hair, but the knife spoke volumes. Their eyes widened, and they both doubled their efforts to get out of the ropes and chains that bound them. The old man approached slowly. “40 years,” he said. “40 years I’ve been waiting to do this spell. I can do spells, you know. I may not have my powers anymore, but I do have my memories…” </p><p>The old man dragged the knife down the outside of the deaf woman’s upper arm. Eileen screamed. </p><p>“Stop it! Leave her alone!” Jo tried to say around the duct tape keeping her mouth shut. </p><p>The man let Eileen’s blood cover the pointed unicorn horn, then he set the horn aside and bandaged up her arm. “There, now. That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Eileen’s hands were tied behind her back, so the man didn’t see her sign the phrase “fuck you.” </p><p>Unicorn back in his hand, the man moved to Jo and used her blood to soak the horn, too. “Let’s hope this works,” he said after he bandaged her, too. “It’ll work,” he said, mostly to himself. “My spells snatched you two out of Heaven. No reason why this spell shouldn’t work, too. Now… Who’d like to do the honors?” The man held the horn to the two women, broad side out. “No takers? You get to stab me, you know.” Jo and Eileen squirmed in their bonds, but they weren’t going anywhere. “Fine, I’ll do it.” </p><p>Without another moment’s hesitation, the man stabbed the bloody unicorn horn into his own heart. He gasp-yelped, and teetered on his feet. His own blood mixed with Jo and Eileen’s. And then the redness disappeared as he was bathed in silver light. The horn seemed to meld with his body and, before the girls’ eyes, the old man became young. 40-ish, they guessed. Not that tall, beard, curly hair, new suit that was all black with a blood-red tie. “Nice touch,” the now young man said, admiring his new outfit. He stretched his arms over his head, then turned in place, stretching and flexing his core. “WOW! 40 years of weight on my shoulders – literally and figuratively – gone! How about that?” </p><p>It was then that a door behind the young man opened. He turned, and Jo and Eileen looked up to see a pair of black men, maybe ten years older than the man, enter the warehouse. “Well, it’s about damn time,” said the young man. He folded his arms against his chest. “Figured an angel would come looking for me. Of course, I figured that would happen four decades ago but, eh, what can you do?” </p><p>The two new men kneeled. “We came to find you as soon as we could,” said the man on the left. “There are many more angels who want to find you, our true creator, the true ruler of Heaven, our… Father.” </p><p>Chuck cocked his head to the side and stared at his sons. “Well then,” he said, “sounds like it’s time for a family reunion.” </p><p>To Be Continued</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Unraveling</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Everyone assembles at the roadhouse to help find Eileen and Jo. Castiel admits something to Dean.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sam, Dean and Cass sat at the bar at Harvelle’s Roadhouse. Each had a list of people on a napkin, and each made phone call after phone call. Slowly, people started to fill the yard outside the bar. Ed and Harry joined Ash and Ellen. Rufus and Pamela were chatting with Bobby. Becky was chatting Jody’s ear off, and she kept exchanging significant glances with Donna. Frank Devereaux and Garth had brought a picnic table with them and were serving hotdogs and beer. Charlie and Kevin were chatting, probably about things no one else would understand. Kelly Kline, Lily Sunder, Missouri and Donatello took a seat at the picnic table, talking about who-knows-what – perhaps the oddest combination of people there. John and Mary waved when Sam peeked outside the window to see if everyone was there yet. Adam was with them – it took a while, but Mary had welcomed him like a son. Walt and Roy stood in the back, leaning against a pair of trees. And there were more faces – faces Sam didn’t recognize. His friends had brought their friends. He estimated there were two hundred people out there. </p><p>Dean joined Sam at the window. “Got a small army.” Sam nodded. “Hey.” Dean clasped his brother’s shoulder. “We’ll find her. We’ll find them.” Another nod from Sam. “Know what you’re going to say?” </p><p>“Yeah. Got these, too.” Sam took a large packet of pictures out of one pocket of his tan jacket, and an equally big one out of the other. The first one was picture after picture of Eileen, the second Jo. “Figure we’ll start by handing these out.” </p><p>Dean glanced back at Castiel, who sat with his back to the brothers at the bar. “Go on. We’ll catch up.” </p><p>“I’m standing on the car.” </p><p>Both of Dean’s eyebrows sprang up. “Excuse me?” </p><p>“On the roof. It’s in the middle of the crowd. Best place to reach them from.” </p><p>“You leave one boot print on her,” Dean threatened, “one scuff mark…” </p><p>“Dean, we’re in Heaven. You and I have driven all over the place and there hasn’t been so much as a single fleck of mud on the Impala.” </p><p>Dean shrugged. “True. All right. On you go.” Sam went out through the front door, and Dean turned his attention to Cass. He walked over to the bar, sat on the nearest stool, and put his hand on the angel’s shoulder. “What’s up, buddy? You’re quiet.” </p><p>Cass rumpled up his napkin and tossed it into a waste bin. Without speaking, he rolled up his shirt and showed Dean the wound from the angel blade. His injury was no longer bleeding, but it did appear to be sprouting. Little tendrils of red emerged from the wider wound. Dean put his fingers against Cass’ skin and felt abnormal heat. “What the hell is that?” </p><p>“I’m…” Cass searched long for the word. “Unraveling.” </p><p>“Unraveling? What, like, a knitted sweater?” </p><p>“If you prefer that simile, then yes.” </p><p>Dean rolled his eyes. </p><p>“I think the blade was poisoned. That angel must be part of the Faction.” </p><p>Dean turned in his seat to fully face Cass. “I’m really afraid to ask, but what’s the Faction?” </p><p>Cass turned in his seat. “Not all of the angels are happy that Jack appointed me his second in command. They don’t want me to rule Heaven.”</p><p>“Cass, you’re… Awesome. Why wouldn’t they want you?” </p><p>It was Cass’ turn to roll his eyes. “Because I killed so many of them, Dean.” </p><p>Dean’s stomach loop-de-looped, then sunk. “Oh. Right.” </p><p>Cass sighed. “Jack made a big speech before he left – told them all who I am now, how I’ve made mistakes but ultimately helped Heaven. How I was the one who suggested he resurrect all the angels but…” Cass shook his head. “From their perspectives, I killed them, then they woke up in the Empty, came to Heaven, and the next thing they know they’re supposed to obey everything I say.” </p><p>“Well…” Dean was grasping at straws “…um…” </p><p>Cass looked into his eyes. “How would you feel if after Metatron killed you, the next thing you know is he’s leading you and all of your friends?” </p><p>“I, uh… Yeah. I guess I can, um, see their point of view.” </p><p>“I can, too,” Cass whispered. “And that’s why there’s a Faction that wants me dead.” To Dean’s surprise, Cass folded his arms on the bar and put his head down on them, most of his face hidden except for his eyes peeking out to look at Dean. “Heaven would be better off without me… I’m going to stand down. Promote someone else. Someone everybody trusts.” </p><p>Dean shook his head. “No, Cass, no. How many angels want to start the apocalypse again? You can’t let them take power.” </p><p>“They’re going to take power, anyway. If I don’t stand down, they’ll kill me…” Cass wrapped an arm around the wound in his midsection. “If they haven’t already…” </p><p>Alarmed, Dean reached out and pressed his hand against Cass’. “Sweater wound is killing you?” Dean’s face turned red. “Well… If it happens, Jack will bring you back again.” </p><p>“Yeah, he will,” Cass agreed. “But we don’t know when he’ll get back. And if I go back to the Empty, I’ll be tortured… Maybe for a millennia.”</p><p>“Veto that,” Dean said. He clamped his hand down on the angel’s shoulder. “Cass, we’ll take care of you. You’ll beat this. You’re strong.” </p><p>“Don’t tell Sam,” said Cass. “He has enough to worry about right now.” </p><p>Dean frowned, but agreed. “Ok.” </p><p>“There’s another reason why I want to step down from my duties.” </p><p>“What’s that?” </p><p>Cass sat up straight and scratched his chin. “Being an archangel… It’s taking away my humanity. I feel… Different. I can feel myself changing, becoming less human. Can’t remember what peanut butter tastes like anymore. Plus, I’d rather… I’d rather be here than leading the angels.” </p><p>“Here?” Dean pointed around the bar. “Literally here?” </p><p>Cass scratched his neck, and then the back of his head. “I mean with you and Sam. And Mary. And Bobby…” Cass looked everywhere except directly at Dean. “You’re my family. I’d rather drive around with you and Sam than do anything else… If you’ll have me.” </p><p>“Cass. Hey. Look at me.” Cass hesitated, then obeyed. “I’d like that, too. You’re always welcome to join us, no matter what. Do you get that?” Cass nodded. “Do you?” </p><p>“Yes.” </p><p>“Good. All right.” Dean stood up and opened his arms. “Bring it in, buddy.” Cass hugged him back. </p><p>The door opened to reveal Sam, Adam, and John. “Dean—Mom’s gone!” </p><p>“WHAT?” </p><p>“I sent everyone out to do the grid search and…” Sam gestured at John. </p><p>Liquid hovered in John Winchester’s eyes. “She just disappeared. Right in front of me. I blinked and she was gone.” </p><p>----------</p><p>Mary blinked, and suddenly she was sitting tied up in a chair between Eileen and Jo. Their wide eyes looked as surprised as she felt. “What the hell?” </p><p>A man towered over her. “Hello, Mary.” Before Mary could respond, Chuck stuck duct tape over her mouth. “How are Sam and Dean doing? Boy, oh, boy, I hope they’re having a great time in Heaven. Not panicking at all. Not worried about you at all. Gee, I hope they’re at peace.” </p><p>Two men flanked the former God. “Do we have enough hostages now?” Raphael asked. </p><p>“Three whores ought to do it,” said Uriel. </p><p>“They’ll do just fine,” said Chuck. “We’re ready.” </p><p>To Be Continued</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>